Skyscanner’s survey says that the lowest airfares between Hong Kong and Japan are actually to Nagasaki and Kagoshima in Kyushu, the most southerly of Japan’s four main islands. It also found that bargain airfares can be found for South Korea, a lesser-known but equally picturesque destination for the spring blooms.

The Skyscanner survey of 1,000 Hongkongers found that 70 per cent were allowed to carry over unused annual leave from 2018 to this year, but around 22 per cent of them will have to spend all of those days before March 31.

The same percentage have a whopping 10 days or more to get rid of by then. Japan proved the favoured destination for a third of those planning to spend their remaining annual leave days travelling.

In both Japan and South Korea the arrival of the cherry blossoms signals the beginning of spring, but the trees are in bloom for only about 10 days. That makes planning a trip difficult, though there are annual cherry blossom forecasts you can consult.

This year, Kyushu in southern Japan is predicted to experience the first blooms. According to the Japan Weather Association (tenki.jp/sakura), the city of Fukuoka is expected to see the first flowers on March 16, Kumamoto on March 17, Nagasaki on March 20 and Kagoshima on March 26.

According to SkyScanner’s data compiled in February, flying to Nagasaki in March will cost you HK$1,500 (US$190) on average, and HK$1,800 for Kagoshima. However, nearby Kumamoto will set you back HK$2,700, Fukuoka HK$2,800, and Hiroshima an eye-watering HK$3,100.

Kyushu offers a great alternative destination for the sakura. “I would recommend Tateyama Park and Sakura no Sato in Nagasaki,” says Ellie Chiu, a Japan travel expert at JTB (jtbhongkong.com) in Hong Kong. “In Kagoshima, Senganen Garden’s Japanese garden is a good choice.”

Those looking for cheap cherry blossom destinations should also consider looking further afield than Japan. South Korea boasts breathtaking cherry blossoms in Seoul and on Jeju Island, flights to which, according to Skyscanner, cost HK$1,400 and HK$1,800 respectively from Hong Kong.

Popular viewing spots include Yeouido and Seokchon Lake in Seoul, and Jeju’s Jeonnong-ro (cherry blossom street). Jinhae near Busan is also famous for its annual cherry blossom festival, but flying into nearby Gimhae International Airport  from Hong Kong will set you back around HK$2,500 in March.

“While many websites will tout the well-known cherry blossom spots as the places to head [to], these locations get absolutely packed,” says Rhiannon Shepherd, who looks after social media for Seoul Tourism Organisation. “Expats in Seoul or those adept at avoiding tourist crowds will head to lesser-known areas to get their cherry blossom fix.”

Five reasons to visit Nagasaki

She recommends visiting Seoul’s four ancient palaces and the city’s big university campuses (Kyung Hee, Yonsei, Konkuk and Sungkyunkwan) to get your cherry blossom fix. KWeather (kweather.co.kr) predicts the first blooms in Seoul on April 3, Jinhae on March 24, and Jeju on March 21.

There’s similar advice for Japan. While many visitors will choose Kyoto or Tokyo (where the first blooms are predicted for March 23 and March 20, respectively), it does get crowded. Flying to both those cities from Hong Kong costs HK$2,600 return (Kyoto’s closest airport is Osaka).

“The most famous and ‘classical’ place [to view the flowers] is Kyoto and the Kansai area, but it's so popular that we suggest people go to other places,” says Chiu.

For many tourists, seeing the sakura is exclusively an opportunity to take beautiful photos, but Chiu also recommends combining cherry blossom season with something more active.

“During sakura season there’s the Nihondaira cherry tree marathon (nihondaira-sakura-marathon.jp) in Shizuoka, [in central Honshu],” she says. “So you can watch or run while you view the sakura.” Scheduled for April 7 (around a week after full bloom is predicted), the course overlooks Mount Fuji. Those who fancy running through rows of cherry trees can also consider South Korea’s Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Marathon on April 6.

Tips from a Tokyo street photographer

Whether you prefer to just wander through the trees or sprint around them, organisation is everything.

“If you decide to head to one of the popular places, arrive early,” says Shepherd. “Cherry blossom spots tend to be extremely busy by late morning and die-hard cherry blossom lovers will often arrive at the locations at sunrise to get their Instagram shots in before the crowds appear.”